Regional discussion and conditions reports for the great state of Utah, from the alpine peaks to the desert slots. Please post partners requests and trip plans here or in the Utah Climbing Partners section.

I usually start around 7am and in about 20 summit climbs I've only been chased by Thunderstorms a couple of times. Do not attempt on a Saturday, all the Mormon boy scout troops and other church affiliated groups swarm the main two trails. Sundays recieve about 1/5 as many people. If you have 2+ vehicles I recommend going up Timponeke and down Aspen Grove it's a short shuttle.

...is there another nearby peak you would recommend off the top of your head as Plan B?

NO! Timpanogos is one of the most scenic peaks in the Rockies. If you are coming from out of state and don't get to the Wasatch often, do that one. Even if you don't reach the top, it's still really scenic. I would suggest not doing an alternative, especially if you are there for fall colors.

Ha! What I meant with this inquiry is: Ok, let's say the weather is forcasted to be lousy and it's not a good day for a more committing trip like Timp - what other peak should I have in my back pocket as an alternative.

And, I do not like to head toward a summit knowing weather / time will probably mean I won't get to the top. It's an OCD thing, ya know?

WhitePine wrote:The main thing is you don't want too be married to your goal. If weather blows in, don't hesitate to turn around early.

Despite my strong alpine OCD tendencies, I always put safety first when it comes to the weather. However, if I KNOW the night before that the weather will be lousy, I'd rather just put Timp off for anther day and attempt a summit of "Plan B," whatever that mountain is.

byates wrote:Do not attempt on a Saturday, all the Mormon boy scout troops and other church affiliated groups swarm the main two trails. Sundays recieve about 1/5 as many people.

Sorry, but my coworkers have made it very clear that Sunday is not even an option, for the religious observation / family purposes. I honor this decision/conviction. Saturday is our day!

Then make sure you do get an early start, on a Saturday the odds of not getting a parking spot are usually much more threatening than Thunder storms!

Define early, please. As mentioned in my OP, I am fine with an alpine start - my coworkers are not ok with an early start. If 6:00 AM start is too late for parking, then it's too late - and ... well, I'll tell my coworkers to leave me alone and do their own darn hike.

I appreciate all of the local feedback, but - what I am drawing from all of this is: This outting will be a major PITA - just forget about it.

byates wrote:At 6 am there will be should be no problem with parking unless it is a full moon weekend. though not to say I'm an expert, I've been avoiding hiking on Saturdays in Utah County for the past ten years.

Smart man. Sundays in Utah County, but shhhhhhhhhhhh. We don't want the word to get out.

The Timpanooke trail is not too difficult for people who are somewhat fit. If none of you have been up the trail, make a note of the junctions. I followed a group of people last year who made every possible wrong turn, including one right out of the parking lot.
The Aspen Grove trail has more options for people who can't quite make it to the top. There are several falls along the trail. You can usually spot a herd of mountain goats somewhere in the Hidden Lakes/Emerald Lake area. There's Robert's Horn that's not as high as Timp, with great view. And of course, Emerald Lake - a great place to hang out.
Summit Post has some of the best trail data around, but if you want to see additional trail details, photos and maps of Mt Timpanogos and other popular peaks in the area, check out http://www.wasatchhiker.com.

If you want something short, you could climb Sugarloaf from Albion Basin and get a nice view of Devils Castle. You could also get high on Devils Castle as well, but there is some exposed scrambling which your group might not want to deal with. Sugarloaf is just an easy walk up though and you can always enjoy looking at or taking a closer look at Devils Castle just for fun (without climbing it).

Mount Superior is shorter than Timp, but scenic.

An alternative to summiting Timp, but still seeing the great scenery on Timp is to climb Roberts Horn. Forgotten Peak is another nice sub-summit, but it has scrambling (but is shorter than going to the main summit).